Installment One: Disintegrate
by scrittore18
Summary: Sinead has disappeared, and Amy and Dan find out that their Ekaterina cousin may not be the only one who may have been kidnapped. Will the Cahill duo—along with the rest of their cousins—be able to figure out what their enemies are really after? And what else will emerge in this game of utter chaos? Amian. Jonead. Natan.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This fic MIGHT seem like it's directly following the Cahill vs. Vesper series/plotline, but it's different, I promise! I'm using some of the same details to lay the foundation, but trust me, it will veer really soon!**

 **Warning: My action writing might suck. Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions on how I can improve. Or you can tell me to stop and I will. Seriously. ;)**

 **Additional note: You can read this without reading my other two fics before this (that were mostly romance), but if you want, check out the epilog to my "When Love and Trust Entwine" story. That's where the action starts!**

* * *

It was hopeless.

Amy Cahill fought the feeling as hard as she could, but after a few minutes of desperately trying and failing, she gave up.

For the first time since the Clue hunt, she had _no_ idea what to do.

"Shouldn't you be contacting someone?" Dan snapped from somewhere behind her.

' _I don't know! I'm not ready for this!'_ she wanted to scream at him, but only let out a breath and tried to think, to pull her thoughts together enough to form something coherent. She was the temporary Madrigal branch leader, yet she felt as if she wasn't prepared to take on the task in front of her.

She thought nothing would top Casper's attack at the airport, which included his stealing Gideon's ring and kidnapping her close friend, Sinead Starling, but this was almost more than she could handle. For the past four years, Amy had been trying to prepare for a Vesper attack. She had set up the Cahill command center at Grace's mansion, kept in contact with the other branches, trained under Fiske to take over the branch one day, and also trained _herself_ for this.

But when she, Dan, and Nellie had arrived back at the mansion, preparing to take the news to Fiske and see what his action plan was, they found out that he was missing. At first, Nellie had commented that he must have had to run an errand, but when they entered their uncle's office, it had been torn to pieces. There was a sign of a struggle—of course, complete with no actual evidence that could pinpoint someone to the attack, not that it mattered, they all knew who it was—and all of his personal belongings, his car keys, and his car were still there. It could only mean one thing.

He had been captured by the Vespers too.

 _But why? What could they want? They have the ring._

Amy was hoping that they would release him now that they had what they wanted. Maybe they kidnapped him for a bargaining chip, in case Casper and his assistants failed to get the ring. But nearly thirty minutes had passed since the time of the attack, and no contact had been made.

"This is crazy," Nellie moaned, running a hand through her hair. She was obviously stressed, which made Amy's anxiety increase.

But she had a job to do and knew it. Dan was right. They had already wasted enough time. None of their other Madrigal contacts knew anything, though Erasmus was on his way now. She knew that he would help, but it they needed the entire force of the Cahills for this, Amy could feel it.

It was time to contact the other branch leaders and see what they knew.

—

She was prepared to see four puzzled faces on the video screen when she sent out the emergency call. What she wasn't expecting, was to be met with utter chaos.

"This is crazy!" Ivan Kleister said before anyone could get a word in, his face red with anger. "You must have heard the news! Our whole branch is in an uproar. Who was that person?"

Though the Tomas leader's voice was loud, Cora Wizard, leader of the Janus branch, overpowered his. "They almost got Phoenix! Amy, where is Fiske? And Patricia, where is Alistair? Where's Ian? We need to find out _what_ is going on."

Amy's heart felt like it was trying to leap out of her chest, and goose bumps prickled her skin. Had something happened to Alistair? And what about Ian? His flight should have landed over six hours ago.

When she spoke her tongue was thick, but she pushed through it and managed to get out, "We think the Vesper's kidnapped Fiske. And they got Sinead Starling only hours ago, in the Boston airport."

All three faces on the screen halted, staring at Amy for a couple beats, before Patricia Oh snapped out, "How do you know it was the Vespers? Was that who forced Alistair into that limo?"

"It must be them!" Ivan said before Amy could respond. "The low-down dirty knuckleheads got Reagan Holt too! Her dad called me thirty minutes ago and threatened to skin me alive if I didn't get to the bottom of who lifted her into that helicopter!"

Feeling like her head was spinning, Amy stated, "Maybe we should go one at a time here. Ivan, what happened with Reagan? Did you see who it was?"

Ivan told the story quickly. The Holt family had been on vacation and was out swimming in the Atlantic Ocean when a helicopter hovered over them, and two men appeared, snatching Reagan and lifting her into the chopper before anyone could get to them. "Reagan's such a good swimmer," Ivan explained, "that she was too far out and the Holt's couldn't swim faster than the men were. They were disguised, of course, wearing all black with masks, and the helicopter was black too. No one at the coast guard or the beach could identify the helicopter. Eisenhower was furious."

Patricia Oh spoke next, her voice monotone—at least in comparison to Ivan's—but Amy could see the worry that was crinkling her brow.

"Alistair was seen being forced into a limo. It's almost the same story as Reagan's kidnapping. It was a woman and a man, but they were disguised similarly, and the limo was all black too. A bystander tried to follow, but got derailed."

"Phoenix is fine, fortunately," Cora stated, her voice a mixture of relief and concern. "He was at Jonah's concert in Tokyo and was almost taken afterward from backstage, but one of the security team members saw it and between three other men, they stopped it. The two masked figures escaped, though."

Amy nodded. She remembered Jonah mentioning that his little cousin was going to meet them with his mother in Tokyo, his next tour stop, but she had never met him. "What time were the two kidnappings and the attempt?" she asked.

They relayed the information to her and found out that they were all at the same time, exactly two hours before Amy, Dan, and Sinead had landed in Boston. Trying to be as quick as she could but still give adequate information, Amy relayed her story.

"It was definitely Casper Wyoming," she concluded. "Dan and I both recognized him from the suspected Vesper agent file. But we didn't recognize the other two people with him."

Though her tone was business-like, Amy felt her prior dread grow even more. This was serious. They had attacked, and though not in the way she had expected, had still caused damage. Worse yet, it was confusing. Why had they left her and Dan and taken Sinead instead? The Cahill siblings were the ones that had won the Clue hunt. Weren't the Vespers after the serum that would make them the most powerful people in the world? Though _no one_ (besides a choice few) knew that Dan had the serum locked in his head, Amy still would have thought she and Dan were more at risk for something like a kidnapping.

It didn't make sense, but she was determined to figure it out.

"Erasmus is on his way here, to the command center," Amy informed the others. "Meanwhile, we can only hope that someone contacts one of us soon."

"What about Ian Kabra?" Cora asked. "Where is he?"

Amy licked her lips. During the entire call, she had forced the fact of Ian's absence to the back of her mind. But now it—combined with Natalie not answering any of Dan's calls since they had arrived at the mansion—was at the forefront of her thoughts, bringing the feeling of helplessness back in a forceful rush.

"I have no idea."

—

It took a few seconds for Ian to realize where he was, and that was somewhere _awful_.

"Disgusting," he muttered, the smell being the first thing that leaked into his senses. Sewer and something decaying— _that's_ what it ranked of. Was he in some sort of sewer passage underground? But then he caught a slight breeze and heard a horn honk from what sounded like only meters away and realized that he was outside. At least the sewer system was out.

Groaning as he shifted his aching body to a sitting position, he tried to remember how he had gotten here. His head was killing him, he knew that much, but why was he in an alleyway? Now that he was more coherent, he took in the narrow strip of land, the rotting garbage, the grisly scenery and identified it immediately.

 _Running. Hiding._

It was starting to come back to him. He and Natalie had exited the airplane in the Heathrow Airport, only to almost get attacked by three disguised individuals, all men by the look of it. They had narrowly escaped the imbeciles (thanks to his and his sister's cunning Lucian minds) and made it to the limo. There, they had tried to contact their security at their mansion, as well as the Lucian board. However, their phones wouldn't work for some reason, like the signal was being blocked.

Frustrated, Ian had tapped his driver to try to use his, only to find that the man was slumped over the steering wheel, apparently drugged. It was strange because they were at a stoplight several kilometers from the airport, so the drug must have been slow-acting.

But that was all he could recall. Rubbing his head, Ian looked around for his sister, hoping that she could shed some light as to how they had gotten here, but his heart sank an instant later when he realized that she wasn't there.

"Natalie?" His voice shook, so he cleared his throat and tried again, this time scrambling to his feet and peering around the dark alley. "Natalie, answer me! This isn't funny."

Was she passed out somewhere? Now that his brain was scrambling just as fast as he had stood, he was starting to remember more...

 _ ***Flashback***_

 _They rushed out of the limo, leaving their bags and the driver there. Ian held his sister's hand as tightly as he could while scanning the street. It wasn't one of the busiest one's in London, but surely they could find someone to help them, or at least a taxi to get them to safety._

 _As if on cue, a black taxi pulled around the corner, causing relief to flood through him. Beside him, he heard Natalie breathe her own sigh of relief, and he squeezed her hand even tighter. Normally, she would have complained about the contact but she didn't say a word._

' _Just get her to safety', he thought. 'She's your little sister and you have to protect her.'_

 _The taxi slowed beside them, and Ian was about to push Natalie in ahead of him when he caught a glimpse of the driver's face. Something about it seemed familiar, and his stomach clenched._

" _That's a Vesper agent!" he hissed at his sister, drawing her to his side as he stepped back, scanning the street for another taxi or a getaway car. He hadn't taken the time to study the agent to figure out which one it was, but something in his gut told him his instincts were correct._

" _Sir?" the man asked, but Ian didn't spare him a look, already racing down the street as fast as he could, trying to find a busy cross-street or business. The problem was, they were in a residential area, far away from London's bustling center, and there wasn't a single restaurant or cafe in sight. Worse, the area they were in was not necessarily a good side of town. In fact, he would have to speak with his driver later about taking shortcuts through the sketchier parts of London._

 _Then, he spotted a small storefront that looked to be some sort of convenience store and gratefulness surged in him, barely surpassing his horror at the entire situation. But as they neared the store, Ian spotted another figure leaning on a lamppost at the corner, almost directly in front of the store. He wasn't sure of the person's identity, but he wasn't going to take any chances._

 _Slowing, he debated what to do, but Natalie was already tugging him to the side._

" _I don't think he saw us," she whispered. "Let's hide."_

 _Ian hesitated, not wanting to get trapped, but a quick look behind him changed his mind. Two figures were gaining on them, but another taxicab stopped to pick up two residents and momentarily blocked their view._

 _He allowed Natalie to haul him into an alleyway, where they crossed onto another street. This one was just as empty as the last one had been, with hardly anyone in sight, but they crossed two more and had made their way several blocks northwest before Ian finally slowed them._

" _I think we lost them," he gasped out, trying to catch his breath. His ribcage protested from all of the activity, but he didn't feel safe yet._

 _They ducked in a small alleyway and took refuge between several large crates and dumpster bins and Ian saw Natalie reach for her phone._

" _Don't!" he warned. "In fact, we should probably turn them off. What if they're tracking us?"_

 _He hated to do so when help could be one phone call away, but his sister was nodding and already hitting her power button._

 _They sat for what seemed like ages (but in reality was only a few seconds) before Ian muttered, "We can't stay here for too much longer. They're probably scoping the streets. Let me look for a clearing and let's move on."_

" _Okay. Be careful."_

 _He gave her a quick nod and then ventured out—not too far where he could be seen—and peered into the dark street. The sun had gone down while they had been running, but Ian could see from the street lights that it was clear._

 _Turning to call out to Natalie, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head. He tried to scream but it got lost in his throat, and before he could catch himself, he was falling. He braced himself for the impact but it never came, blackness closing in on him._

 _The last thought he had was 'Natalie..."_

 ***End Flashback***

Ian stood there, his muscles quaking, remembering the terror he felt. Ignoring the rush of pain, he combed the entire area, only to come up with nothing. There was no trace of Natalie, no trace of their cell phones, and no trace of anyone being there. No footprints were left, and the only thing he knew to do was to get out of there and get back to the mansion so he could get help. He had no idea what time it was, but from the rising sun, he had been passed out for quite some time.

That meant that the Vesper agent could have taken her _anywhere_. She could be halfway across the world right now; she could be hurt or worse, already de—

 _No. Don't think of that. You're the head of the Lucians, and you need to start acting like it!_

Quickly, he made his way to the street, intent on finding a safe way home. Then, he would use every resource to get his sister back.

It was the only thing he knew to do.

—

Amy sighed, looking over at Dan and Nellie, who had been standing off to the side during the video call. "I'm going to have to call the Starlings. And then Jonah."

She wasn't looking forward to it. Really, she should have contacted them first, but hated being the bearer of such awful news. What if the Vesper's had killed her cousin, along with all of the other kidnapped Cahills?

"I'm going to try Natalie again," Dan decided. "And Ian too. I'm really worried now after hearing about the other kidnappings."

Amy was too but didn't voice it, reaching for her cell phone. The Starlings should be first, she decided and made the phone call.

It was tough, but none of her friend's family freaked out, instead, taking it calmly, almost how Sinead took bad news. Their distress still leaked through their serene expressions, but Amy promised that they were working on finding out what happened, and after the Starlings stated they would start on their own research, the phone call ended.

Then it was time to call Jonah. Amy had no idea what time it was in Tokyo, but he answered on the second ring.

"Yo Amy, did ya hear what happened? Phoenix almost got kidnapped after my show last night!"

"I did hear," she said quietly. "I just got off of a call with all of the branch leaders."

"You did?"

His voice sounded curious now and even worried.

"Can we switch to a video call?" she asked, and within seconds, she was face-to-face with him.

He looked tired yet alert, and suddenly she didn't want to tell him. She decided to start with Fiske, Reagan, and Alistair's kidnapping first, then went on to how no one could get ahold of Ian or Natalie.

"Whoa," he cut in. "I hope they're okay. Looks like they're after one person from each branch. I wonder if they'll try to snatch someone else from the Janus."

"They may," Amy agreed, then inhaled a deep breath. "There's more. The reason we think it's the Vespers is because Dan, Sinead, and I got attacked by one of their agents at the airport here."

"What? A Vesper agent? Are you guys all okay? Is Sinead there? I've been tryin' to call her but she's not answering."

"Let me tell you the whole story," Amy said quickly. She saw the worry grow but he only nodded. Trying to keep her tone even, she explained in detail the entire thing but halted when she got to the part when they woke up.

"Jonah…" she trailed, then plunged on. "Sinead wasn't there. When we woke up, Nellie had found us, but only me and Dan. The ring and Sinead were missing, and still are."

On-screen, Jonah's face froze, and at first it was hard to tell if it was due to a bad connection or him.

"I'm sorry," she added. "But we're going to do everything we can from here to find—"

"I'm coming there," he bit out.

"But your tour—"

"Consider it canceled," he interrupted her, his tone growing more urgent with each word. "There is no way in _heck_ I'm gonna continue it with her missing. Let me talk to my dad and I'll be there ASAP."

Amy nodded, his determination somehow making her feel better. The other leaders had discussed meeting here in Attleboro but then decided to stay put until they knew what the Vespers were after. It would make more sense for the Cahills to stay in their parts of the world for now, but Amy still appreciated the assistance from the cousins that she felt like were her own siblings. Hamilton had texted her right before she called Jonah to inform her that he and Madison were on their way, and she agreed. The more help the better, and their presence would help, if only to calm her down.

Meanwhile, the Cahills in London and the board of the Lucian branch were trying to track down Ian and Natalie, and Amy hoped that they would find them soon, uninjured and alive.

Once she hung up she looked over at Dan, hopeful. But he was throwing his phone across the room, frustration on his face.

Staring at him, Amy debated on what to say. But there were no words that popped into her head, so she didn't say anything as he walked over to join her.

Nellie was the one who broke the silence. "Well kiddos, we'll do what we can. In the meantime, maybe you should get some sleep."

They stared at her in astonishment, but she explained, "After that flight, I'm sure you're exhausted. And what if what the Vespers want requires lots of strength and energy? Besides, there is nothing else you can do until Erasmus gets here."

The words made sense, but Amy didn't think she could sleep. Dan must have agreed because he shook his head. "We slept on the plane. And I don't think I could anyway, not until I know where Nat is."

"I guess I don't blame you," Nellie conceded. "But I at least want you to eat something. In fact, I'm going to go whip up some stuff right now."

Amy didn't tell her that she felt so nauseated that she probably wouldn't be able to keep down anything. Nellie seemed just as worried as she and Dan, and cooking would probably help her calm down a little.

Once their former au pair was gone, Amy looked at her brother. "Now what?"

But a beeping sound from one of the monitors sounded, and after a pause to comprehend, both of them were racing towards the source of the sound.

The words on the monitor had them both breathing a sigh of relief.

It read: _Incoming video call—Location: The Tower of London. Cahill Agent: Ian Kabra_

—

Ian waited tensely for Amy to appear onscreen.

It had taken him only minutes to reach the Lucian base in London (his aim being to contact Norman Wendorf, the head of the Lucian board.) It turned out that the man was at the base, along with most of the other board members, who apparently were all waiting for Ian to contact them. He had sat there in stunned disbelief as they updated him on the happenings of the last six hours. The attack on Dan, Amy, and Sinead, the kidnapping of the latter, the theft of Gideon's Ring, and then the other kidnappings. They had left him with his head buzzing and feeling even more helpless than he had when he first realized Natalie was missing.

 _That wasn't just a random attack. They want something from all of us. But what?_

After finding out that Amy had headed the meeting in Fiske's stead, he decided that she would be his next contact point. He was sure that she—and Dan—were worried sick about them.

 _She probably isn't nearly as worried about me though as Dan is about Natalie,_ he thought with some disappointment. He forced his mind away from all of that for now, though, there were more important matters to occupy himself with.

The call picked up, but instead of Amy, Dan was the first person he saw, his face pinched with both hope and worry.

"Ian thank goodness!" he snapped. "I've been trying to call you and Natalie for hours. Where is she? Are you guys okay?"

"I need to talk to Amy too," Ian barely managed. "Is she there?"

Her face appeared only seconds later, her facial expression much like her brothers. "Ian, I'm so glad to see that you're alright!"

The words caught him off-guard, but he cleared his throat. "Yes well, it's not all good news I'm afraid. Natalie—" the word got stuck in his throat as he thought of her.

"Is she there?" Dan asked, but his face had already fallen, like he knew the answer.

Ian shook his head. "Kidnapped I believe."

Quickly, he recounted the story of their escape from the airport and then race through London's less than reputable streets. "She was nowhere in sight when I woke up," he concluded grimly. "I came straight here where Norman updated me. Sinead was kidnapped too?"

"Yes, almost the same way Natalie was. When Dan and I came to, she had disappeared."

That came from Amy. Dan was still standing there but seemed to be in some sort of haze, grief and pain twisted on his face.

Ian knew the feeling but had already had time to deal with his emotions. Now, he only wanted to find his sister and possibly—as his cousin Jonah would say—'kick some Vesper butt' in doing so.

"What's our plan?" he asked, hoping that Amy and the other leaders had some solid leads to go on.

But as Amy filled him in, he realized that their hands were tied, at least until the Vespers got into contact with them. Maybe the 'mysterious' V1 who had sent both threatening notes in the past was at the head of this.

 _We should have taken that note more seriously,_ he lamented, thinking back over it. While he thought he had handled it well, surely there was something else they could have done. At least a move like keeping their flights and then charting a private jet would have thrown the Vespers off. But Ian hadn't even been concerned with that, thinking that they could investigate more when they arrived back at the Lucian base.

 _If you would have handled things better, your sister would be here now, helping you plan how to get everyone else out. Instead, she's part of whatever horrid plan these people have._

"Amy," Dan suddenly interrupted. "You have an email that just came through. It's from a blocked sender."

"Blocked sender? That's impossible. How"—but realization was the next emotion on her pretty face, and her eyes widened. Ian watched her mutter a few words and type furiously on the laptop that Dan brought over, then her facial expression changed as she scanned over the screen, but he couldn't interpret it.

"What?" Ian demanded, hope crushing the feeling of helplessness.

"It's a note"—she swallowed, her voice barely above a whisper, and Ian felt his heartbeat pick up—"from Vesper One."


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm sorry this took so long to update, but life got CRAAAAAZY for me for a few weeks.**

—

" _Looks like we have someone from each branch, except for the Janus. I suppose Sinead Starling will suffice, due to recent 'happenings'. Instructions to follow. ~V1_

 _P.S. Tell your famed rapper, 'yo' for me."_

Amy finished reading the note to the other leaders that she and Ian had just included in their call, then closed her eyes.

 _That_ was why they had taken Sinead, she realized. The Vespers somehow knew that she was dating Jonah, and after the failed attempt on Phoenix—only two hours before the attack from Casper—they had gone after her instead. It added up. It would have only taken one message for Vesper One to let Casper know to kidnap Sinead while he was snatching the ring.

Cora Wizard was the first one to speak, jolting Amy back to the present. "I don't understand," she said slowly. "What does the kidnapping of Sinead Starling have to do with our branch?"

Amy let out a breath. She felt uncomfortable in this position but knew that the truth would have to come out. "I'll tell you all. But it has to stay here, at least until I can talk to Sinead's parents, because they need to know before this gets around."

She waited until everyone promised, then said slowly, "Sinead's been dating Jonah Wizard for two months now."

Aside from Ian, she was met with incredulous looks but went on. "It was kept a secret because they didn't want it leaked to the press, and other than Jonah's dad and Sinead's triplet brothers, no one in their family knows. I have no idea how the Vespers found out though."

She stopped to swallow, not sure what else to say, but Ian added, "It _is_ strange how they knew. They must have been spying on one of them somehow. So now we know that Sinead's kidnapping involves the Janus branch, though indirectly. That means there will probably be no more kidnappings."

"True," Cora said, her face unreadable. "But I still will inform all involved families to be on their guard. There is no telling what the Vespers will do, or how far they will go."

Then, to Amy's shock, the woman added quietly, "Does Jonah know?"

"Uh, yes," she answered quickly. "He does. He canceled the rest of his tour and is flying here now to help in whatever way he can."

Cora nodded but didn't say anything else. Ivan was the next to speak, though his voice was more like a _boom._ "Hamilton and Madison are on their way too. Do you guys need anyone else from our branch?"

"I don't think so," Amy stated. "What we need is people in all areas monitoring and on standby. We aren't really sure what the Vespers are after yet, and if we all are grouped then we may not be able to deliver."

"So basically we are waiting for these 'instructions'," Patricia stated with a long sigh. "I suppose there is nothing else to do until then."

"Well we can keep monitoring every communication and keep in contact with those in our branch that are stationed at our bases," Cora added. She gave Amy a long, hard look. "You will update us as soon as you hear from Vesper One?"

"Of course," Amy replied, telling herself not to get defensive.

For some reason, Ian was the only leader that seemed to not be phased that she was standing in for Fiske. It may have been that they were the same age, or maybe because he knew how capable she was—something she was questioning right now but hoped she was radiating to everyone else—but she was grateful when he said, "I have complete faith in Amy. I know for a fact that she is taking this seriously, just like the rest of us are."

Cora raised an eyebrow at Ian but nodded.

The call ended shortly after that, and as soon as she was sure she was clear, Amy slumped forward in her chair, resting her head in her hands.

"Jonah texted while you were on the call," Dan said from behind her. "He's getting on a plane and will be here in twelve hours. And I texted Ham and he told me he and Madison were about to board their flight to New Haven, then would drive here and should be here about six."

"Okay," she muttered but didn't have the strength to lift her head. It was three in the morning, and she should be tired (at least slightly), but adrenaline was pumping through her veins.

"Maybe we should sleep like Nellie suggested," she finally said, lifting her head to look at her brother.

He instantly looked like he wanted to protest, but she reasoned, "Nellie was right. There's nothing to do, and what if we have to do a lot of traveling? We can each sleep three hours, then when the Holts get here we can try to plan something."

Reluctantly he agreed but stated that she was going to have to sleep first. They shook on it, then Amy tried to go to her room and settle in for a nap. Only images of Casper Wyoming's attack, the four tense faces of the Cahill branch leaders as they told their stories, and the note from Vesper One kept flashing through her brain. Finally, she scouted the mansion for Nellie and found her sitting in the large den, her feet propped up under her and a book of some kind in front of her.

"Hey kiddo," she greeted. "I thought you were sleeping."

Amy shrugged, not wanting to confess the reasons she couldn't sleep. She was sure Nellie probably knew anyways. Without saying a word, she sat on the couch next to her, then proceeded to stare at the blank T.V. screen.

"It's going to be okay Amy."

She didn't move but tried to relax at Nellie's words. It _would_ be okay. It had to.

Only seconds later, however, the image of Sinead's facial expression right before Amy passed out floated in her mind. It had held defiance, determination, steadiness—everything the Madrigal leader _wasn't_ feeling at the moment.

 _Sinead, I wish you were here. I need your practical approach to things. I need you here to make some rude remark about the Vesper organization and how they are all going down once we find them. I need your calming presence._

But her cousin wasn't here. Neither were four other people Amy cared about. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and willed herself to think of a plan. Sure, they didn't know exactly what to do, but they could prepare for the possibilities.

—

Madison glanced over at her brother. His large hands were almost white from gripping the steering wheel too hard, his scowl on the road in front of them, and she was pretty sure he was going at least fifteen miles over the speed limit, but she didn't comment on any of that.

Worry surged through every vein in her body, even though she tried to combat it with hope. But it was difficult. _Reagan_ was gone. She might even be dead. And, according to Amy, there wasn't much to do. Still, it only had taken seconds for her and Hamilton to decide to head to Attleboro, where at least they could feel like they were doing _something_.

The image of her sister as she was hoisted into the air flashed through Madison's memory before she could stop it. Panic, fear, that was what was on her face—things that Holt's normally didn't feel, and if they did, definitely didn't like to let on to. But watching her twin, helpless to do anything to save her, Madison had felt the same things.

"Do you think she's okay?"

The words hung in the air for a few seconds before Madison realized that she had spoken them.

"Of course she is." But her brother didn't sound too sure. A sigh followed, but instead of speaking, he reached over and turned music on. It was a popular country tune, one of Madison's favorites that would normally have her jamming out. But she stared outside the window, her eyes on the swiftly passing scenery. Her thoughts, however, weren't on the trees. They were back on her sister, and what all could be happening to her.

 _Reagan,_ she tried to telepath to her. _Hold on. We're coming to get you, I promise._

—

They arrived in Attleboro at the same time Erasmus did.

Madison had only seen the special agent once, at a training session last year that taught entry-level hacking. With Erasmus leading, though, it quickly turned into 'intermediate-level' hacking. The dark-haired Cahill was good at what he did. While he wasn't the most patient teacher, he had the skills to make up for it. Hamilton had loved every bit of it, while his sisters had only been interested in learning enough to get by.

"Hello," he greeted them once they stepped into the foyer of Grace's mansion. His gray eyes regarded them indifferently but Madison didn't take offense. It had taken a while to figure him out—five training sessions, to be exact—but once she had gotten to know him, she had decided that she liked him.

He wasn't heartless but focused. A 'Thomas' trait, though he was an Ekaterina by birth.

"Hey," Hamilton answered for them. Then, "What do you know about the kidnappings?"

Amy, who was one of the six in the room, spoke up. "Let's go up to the top floor."

Erasmus cut his eyes at her but merely nodded.

She led the way, Nellie, Dan, and Erasmus close on her heels. But Madison wasn't far behind. Leaving her luggage in the doorway, she followed.

They were barely through the door of the Command Center when Erasmus spoke. "We don't know much as far as the purpose of the kidnappings," he admitted, probably referring to the Cahills as a whole. "What we do know"—he sat in a nearby chair, his eyes focusing on one of the many screens on the opposite wall—"is that Cheyenne Wyoming, who is a high-ranking Vesper agent and one of the Six, was definitely with Casper at the airport."

"Really?" Dan said, exchanging a look with his sister. "Was she the woman that held a knife to Sinead's neck?"

Erasmus held out his phone. "Look familiar?"

Both Cahill's moved to look at it, then nodded slowly. "Yes," Amy said. "She was in disguise, but I recognize the lines of her face. Also, her nose is hard to miss." She glanced up at Erasmus. "How did you find that out?"

"She made an amateur mistake and connected to the airport's WiFi on her cell phone," he stated. "She also had on her GPS."

 _GPS?_ Madison's heart leaped, but spiraled again as Erasmus added, "Unfortunately, she realized her error and turned it off, but we found her phone signature when we went in the airport's WiFi system to scan." Then he listed enough technical terms that Madison's head started spinning, but she caught the gist. They knew it was Cheyanne, but that was all.

"The man that assisted them, 'Ralph'—though that probably isn't his real name—is probably a low-ranking Vesper agent. We aren't sure on him."

"You don't think he's on the Council of Six?" Nellie asked, folding her arms in front of her as she regarded Erasmus.

 _The Council of Six._

Currently, they only knew two of the people on the council, though plenty was suspected. Vesper 4 was Sandy Bancroft—recently confirmed by William McIntyre after obtaining some classified documents, and Cheyenne was also one of the members, though they weren't sure what ranking she was. But the fact that they sent _her_ to kidnap Sinead wasn't good.

"I don't, but it's a possibility I suppose," Erasmus admitted. "I wish I had more information to give."

"I wish we knew more too," Dan moaned. "It's so dang _frustrating_ to be stuck here while they're out doing who knows what!"

Madison flinched at his tone, but couldn't blame him. They had his girlfriend, after all.

"Well, according to Amy, he will contact her soon. Nice timing on that note. And we know why they captured Sinead too."

To the Holt's surprise, Amy whipped her head to look at the agent. "Why they captured Sinead?" she quoted. "What are you talking about?"

"How they kidnapped her instead of Phoenix, to get at Jonah. You told me—"

"No, I didn't." Amy looked confused, her brown eyes trained on Erasmus. "I only read the first part to you."

"Oh." For once, the agent looked flustered. Madison was pretty confused too, but then the man shook his head, sending his curls flying. "One of the other leaders must have said something. I've talked to so many people in the last hour."

"Well don't say anything to anyone else," Amy warned. "I want the Starlings to know before it gets around, but I'm waiting on Jonah to get here."

"When's he coming?" Madison asked, breaking her silence.

Amy glanced at one of the monitors. "He should be here in 5 or 6 hours."

"Until then"—Erasmus stood from the chair, walking to the main computer terminal—"there is _one_ thing we can do."

—

Hamilton still felt useless. At first, he was grateful that there was something they could do. But when Erasmus announced that it was transmitting data from a couple of drives to the command center's terminals, he wanted to throw something. While he liked computers, the job only took minutes, then they were back to twiddling their thumbs. And Hamilton didn't do that well.

They tried other things too, like replaying the scenes and stories of the kidnapping, trying to draw patterns from it. Then, they scoped out possible hideouts (Dan's idea), but there were just too many possibilities.

Finally, Jonah arrived, bleary-eyed and worried, yet obviously relieved to be there. They all greeted him, then Amy cleared her throat, not wasting any time. "We received an email from Vesper One a few hours ago."

His eyes lit up. "What did it say? Did it mention Si—uh, the hostages?"

"Sort of." Amy bit her lip, then read it to him.

Hamilton felt bad for his cousin as he watched the realization set it, the disappointment, then the anguish. It was heartbreaking. Already, Hamilton had been dealing with his emotions ever since Reagan had disappeared, and this just added to it.

"They took her to get to me?"

"More like your branch," Dan put in. "But yeah, I guess."

"Her kidnapping took place only two hours after the Vespers failed to get Phoenix," Amy said, her tone still gentle. "And then adding the email I just read you all into the equation…"

Jonah closed his eyes, the pain visible on his features. "I wish they would have gotten me instead," he whispered. "There wasn't even an _attempt._ "

It was silent as they watched him try to keep his composure. Hamilton didn't want to point out that the reason for that was probably due to Jonah's host of bodyguards and his tour group. It would only make him feel worse.

"We need to tell her parents. I know it's probably the last thing you want to do, so I can—"

"No," Jonah cut her off. "I want to be there when they find out."

"We can video call them," Amy agreed, then motioned towards the door. "Let's go downstairs where it will be quiet." She glanced around at the rest of them. "If Vesper One makes contact, come get me immediately."

—

Once they made it to the kitchen, Amy sat down and dialed the Starling's number on her tablet. Jonah hadn't said anything in the last couple of minutes, but she didn't try to break the silence. He was probably trying to figure out what to say once Sinead's parents were on-screen.

The video connected almost right away, and then Mrs. Starling appeared.

"Is there any news?" she immediately inquired, her green eyes hopeful.

Amy's heart sank, but she kept her voice calm. "Not really. Vesper One sent an email, but it didn't give us any clues. However, there is something that we need to talk to you about. Can you put the rest of your family on the call?"

Minutes later, they were all assembled. Ned and Ted greeted her and Jonah right away, then introduced Jonah to his parents, but only stated that his house is where the reunion took place a few months ago. The Starlings nodded politely, but their focus seemed to be on Amy, not the celebrity next to her. That was about to change, though.

"We think we know why Sinead was kidnapped, even though they already had Alistair."

Quickly, Amy explained how their attack at the airport had been two hours after the other kidnappings, then brought up the fact that the Vespers didn't get Phoenix.

"Wait, what does that have to do with anything?" Sinead's dad asked, confusion on his face. "Sinead isn't linked to the Janus branch at all."

On-screen, Ned and Ted exchanged a look, which he caught. "What was that for?" Mr. Starling demanded. "What are you not telling us?"

"Let me read the email that we got and then I'll clear it up," Amy said quickly. She read the email, then jumped right in, "So it ends there. And the reason—"

"Amy," Jonah spoke up for the first time since the introductions. "Let me, please."

She nodded, noting that his face was steady. Still, she felt bad for him. It couldn't be easy, confessing to Sinead's _parents_ that the reason behind their daughter's kidnapping was partly due to her dating him.

"The 'happenings' he was referring to in the email has to do with me and Sinead. We've been a couple for two months."

The Starling's expressions didn't change, but Amy caught the astonishment in their eyes.

"We started dating at the reunion in August, but wanted to keep it a secret for a while due to the media. I have no idea how the Vespers found—"

"You've been dating my _daughter_ for _two_ months?!" Mr. Starling bit out, his surprise fading away and anger setting in.

"Uhh…" Jonah started but wasn't given the chance to finish.

"Did you both know about this?" Sinead's dad turned his wrath on his sons, who stared back at him, unruffled.

"Yes, of course. We were there when it all happened," Ned replied.

"I can't believe you let that happen! He's a Janus! And a _rapper._ " He said the last word like it was equivalent to being a murderer, then turned his eyes back to the screen. "And now you're telling me that the reason she was kidnapped was due to _you._ "

Amy flinched, both at the words and the tone they were spoken in. She wanted to leap to Jonah's defense, but she was speechless.

"Wait, dad," Ned tried to insert, but his father wasn't finished.

"I hope you're happy that she took the fall for you, and for the rest of your worthless branch."

"Jonah has nothing to do with this, and it isn't his fault," Amy said firmly, finding her voice. She wanted to cringe as his heated gaze turned on her, but she wasn't going to let him talk to Jonah like that. "If Sinead was here, she would be the first to tell you that."

"Well she isn't here, is she?" Mr. Starling cut in. "And apparently her judgment can't be depended on since she decided that dating _him_ was perfectly acceptable."

"Mr. Starling."

He halted at Jonah's steady voice. A glance at him in the reflection on the screen though told Amy that he wasn't as calm as he sounded.

"I'm in love with your daughter, and would gladly trade places with her if I was given the choice."

Amy was stunned by the honesty of his words and how easily he confessed them, but apparently, Mr. Starling didn't agree. A snort came from the older man and he spat, "What do you know about _love_? You're a celebrity who has probably slept around with plenty of females. Furthermore, you've made my daughter one of them, and—"

" _Enough!"_

The word was said so loudly, so firmly, that Amy started.

All eyes turned to the normally quiet Ted Starling, who leaned forward and placed a hand on his dad's shoulder.

"Do you think Ned and I would have stood by and let them date without a fight if Jonah was a horrible person? We've both seen firsthand how he treats her, and it's way better than any of her exes. And you know how protective we are of Sinead."

The older man opened his mouth, but Ted shook his head. "I love you dad, but you need to lay off Jonah, because like Amy just said, it _isn't_ his fault she got kidnapped. Instead of this blame game, we should be focusing on what we're going to do to get her back."

Mr. Starling stared at his son in disbelief for a few beats, then, without a word, got up and left the room.

Silence descended, leaving Jonah looking hurt, and leaving Amy with no clue what to say. But Mrs. Starling cleared her throat.

"Jonah, allow me to apologize for my husband's behavior. I'll talk to him later about it, but know that I don't agree that it's your fault and as far as you two dating goes, I trust my daughter's judgment."

The celebrity's eyes flew to hers in shock, but she was still speaking, her voice kind. "I can tell just from this conversation how much she means to you, and I appreciate the fact that you are there helping when I'm sure you could be doing other things."

"Of course," Jonah muttered, still seeming slightly stunned, "I would do anything for her."

Ned spoke next, his voice a mixture of amusement and sadness, "We know, and so does Sinead. My dad will come around and see that too."

"In the meantime," Sinead's mom spoke up, her tone now brisk and businesslike. "We will keep doing everything we can on our end. We're assuming the Vespers are after the serum and have been researching possible routes they may take to get it, as well as possible antidotes in case the worse happens."

 _Antidotes?_ Amy was surprised at that word but then figured if any branch could figure one out, it would be the most innovative and scientific one of the family. She nodded. "Thank you. We will keep you updated."

As soon as the call ended, she turned to Jonah, but he was already standing up, his face blank.

"I'm going for a walk."

She hated the feeling of helplessness as she watched him exit out the back door, but didn't attempt to stop him. The grounds should be safe, and he probably needed some time alone.

Sighing, she stood. It was time to get back to work—whatever _that_ was.

—

She woke up to the smell of disinfectant.

Well, either that or something equivalent to it. Sinead peeled her eyes open, wondering where in the world she was _this_ time. One of the labs at school? Her own personal one at Attleboro? Or was this one of the many clinics she had fallen asleep at, waiting for the person in charge of her clinical training to show up so she could do her 'hands-on' training?

A white-walled, empty room (with the exception of the bed she was lying on) wasn't what she was expecting. Confusion set in, then panic as the pieces came back to her.

 _Casper Wyoming. The airport. Getting trapped._

She was sure she had been about to die, guarding Amy and Gideon's Ring like she had been, and then, _nothing._ Quickly, she searched her memory, but it was like a black hole had swallowed up everything since the face-off with Casper. Had she been knocked out?

Trying to curb the apprehension she felt, she glanced around the room again. One door, no windows, and a cot with one sheet on it. That was it. But she couldn't allow herself to feel the emotions that were swirling around her, threatening to descend at any moment.

 _I'm alive. That has to count for something, right?_ Her eyes landed on the door. It was probably locked, but it wouldn't hurt to—

It opened without warning, sending her heart flying. She sat frozen, though, as a cloaked figure stepped in.

Sinead couldn't tell if it was a man or woman, but she was guessing a man, given his height. She estimated him to be around 6ft tall, maybe even taller, and his stride was wide. His face was covered in a ski mask, making her snort.

"Something funny?"

It was definitely a man. His voice wasn't as menacing as his getup was. It was light, almost airy, and she relaxed.

"I'm just wondering about all of the James Bond stuff. Who are you?"

"Ah, someone who shares my sense of humor."

The sound came from him, but the mask didn't move. It was disconcerting, and she found herself only able to look into his eyes for a few seconds. They were a hard brown but could be colored contacts. She hoped so anyway, they were so... _dead._

She shuddered at the word but tried to hide it by rubbing her arms. "I don't play games. What's going on? Why am I here? And _where_ are my cousins?"

He didn't move. "You are full of questions. This is what you need to know: those you love will stay safe if you do the task we've brought you here for."

"Task?"

He tsked. "Another senseless question. I'm going to get you some food, then we will talk again—later."

Sinead didn't like how he just _assumed_ she would do whatever he wanted. For all she knew, he was bluffing about the 'loved ones' quip. But regardless, she wasn't going to be bullied.

"What makes you think I'm going to do this 'task'?" Her tone was defiant, and she reveled in it, and in the reaction she was sure to get.

The figure didn't move, and neither did his eyes change, but she sensed a smile in his voice as he answered, "Oh, I have ways to _make_ you comply."

She flinched at the laugh that came from his mouth, and then he was gone, but the chill of the sound lingered in his wake.


	3. Chapter 3

**I am SO SORRY it's been so long since I've updated. Life has hit me so hard...I got laid off at work, found a new job, managed to get through the holidays, then I got a promotion at my new job that includes a lot more work. To top it off, I'm going back to college so I've been applying for scholarships and getting all of that stuff in order. AND I started a side job...so yeah...it's been crazy. But I'm still here!**

 **I feel like this chapter is a little rushed and a sort of filler but I wanted to have** _ **something**_ **for you guys, if only to give you assurance that I'm not abandoning this. Again, this might seem like a complete copy of the Cahill vs Vespers plot. But I promise you that it will veer. When I first read the series I had an idea of where it would go, and I was totally wrong. So basically this story is similar to what I thought would happen ;)**

 **(Oh, and like the authors of the book series, I took some liberty with the historical facts of the object mentioned in this chapter. There's some debate online, so I'm going with one opinion and altering the rest to make it Cahill-y.)**

—

When the email came, they were all in the room. It had been almost fourteen hours since the last contact, yet no one had slept a wink.

Dan was the first one who made it to the computer terminal, his eyes landing on the screen as his fingers moved to open the message.

By the time the email loaded, the others had crammed around him, their eyes also glued to the screen.

 **Are you ready for the trip of a lifetime? You have until this Thursday to obtain the DeBeers Diamond. And since I'm such a nice guy, I'll give you until midnight. -V1**

The words washed over him, only Dan was at a blank. What was the DeBeers Diamond? But his sister's hiss made his stomach drop.

Turning to her, he caught the panic in her eyes.

Hamilton was the one who broke the silence. "Amy? Do you know what that is?"

"Only one of the rarest diamonds in the _world_ ," she emphasized, and Dan prepared himself for the lecture. She didn't disappoint.

"It was a diamond in the famous Patiala Necklace created in 1928 and named after Bhupinder Singh of Patiala."

"That makes sense," Dan quipped, but his sister ignored him.

"It was extremely expensive to make, containing over 2,900 diamonds, which of course includes the DeBeers Diamond, the 7th largest in the world."

Hamilton let out a whistle, but it didn't stop Amy. "It weighed 234.65 after cutting, and had a 428 karat pre-cut weight. Unfortunately, it was stolen from the royal treasury in 1948. It wasn't until 1998 that a Cartier representative named Eric Nassbaum stumbled upon the necklace at an antique shop in London. He purchased it, restored it as best he could, and now it travels from exhibit to exhibit."

"Okay," Jonah said easily. "So we find out where the crown's at now and go snatch it."

"There's one problem with that." Amy's tone was dull. "It won't be there. When they recovered the crown, they discovered that the diamond had been removed."

For a long moment, no one said a word.

Then Erasmus spoke. "If I may offer a suggestion?"

They all turned to look at the Cahill agent. His face was grave, but something in his expression gave Dan a flicker of hope.

"Of course," Amy replied.

"I suggest we split into groups. Part of us can go to London to talk to the antique shop owner and try to figure out where it came from. If we can trace it back to the original thief, we may be able to find the diamond. Meanwhile, another group can find out where the necklace is now and steal it."

"Steal the necklace?!" Madison said in dismay. "How would that help? The police would be after us and we still wouldn't have the diamond."

"We can get around the police. We have connections. And the necklace might lure the diamond thief out. If anything, it will create a diversion, stir up the story all over again, and maybe give us some leads."

Dan frowned. "It seems like a long shot, but…" his thoughts went to Natalie, who, at the moment, could be dead or being held captive. They wouldn't do anything bad to her, like torture her for information right? He shuddered at the thought.

"We need people to stay here too, in case Vesper One contacts us again," Amy said, and Dan could tell by looking at her that she was considering Erasmus' words.

"I don't mind staying," Hamilton volunteered. "And with Ned and Ted on the way, that should be enough to manage things."

Dan's thoughts flew to the Starling boys, who were about to board a plane to come help. Though they had their limitations, there had been pain behind their voices as they insisted that they "needed to help find their sister" and no one had attempted to argue with them.

"You shouldn't stay by yourself," Nellie objected.

"I can stay here if the rest of you want to split up," Erasmus spoke up. "But it's up to you. I can help wherever I'm needed."

"Erasmus," Amy inserted. "I really want to go to London to check out that antique shop—

 _More like she doesn't want to be responsible for 'breaking in' to a precious museum,_ Dan thought but didn't voice it.

—"but I promised I would keep the other leaders posted. What if I reported everything to you and let you inform them? You're a lot better at that kind of stuff than I am."

"You're referring to keeping the peace between the branch leaders?" Something that resembled a smirk graced the agent's face. "I think your faith in me is a little misplaced, but I'll do it."

"Thank you." It looked like Amy let out a breath, then she turned to Dan. "Do you want to go with me to London?"

He paused, but just for a second. While the museum sounded more like something his forte, he always stuck with his sister. His mind flashed back to the Clue hunt, and how well they balanced each other out. "I'm in."

"I've totally got the 'breaking and entering' stuff," Nellie said. "Who's with me?"

"Me!" Madison chimed. "Breaking is stuff that Holts are good at."

"Madison, please be careful," Hamilton inserted, not looking too happy. Dan wasn't sure if it was because the diamond heist would be the most dangerous thing, or if it was the thought of his little sister helping in general.

"I'll be fine," she assured him, flashing a grin in his direction.

"What about you Jonah?" Amy asked.

The celebrity hesitated. "Wherever you think Amy, I trust your judgment."

The Madrigal frowned, then said slowly, "Well, you're a Janus. It might be good for you to go to the museum. You would be good at creating a distraction, either by asking questions or by…well…"

"Revealing my identity and creating a mob scene?"

"Exactly. Not that I want to use your—"

"Sinead is in danger. I don't care about anything else right now except finding her and the others."

Silence fell over the room at his words, and Dan saw the sadness reflected on every face. But he felt the same way. He would do _anything_ to get Natalie back. And Fiske. And all of the others he had grown to care about.

Erasmus cleared his throat, then said gently. "I think we should depart as soon as possible. We have a time limit here, and traveling takes time."

Nellie spoke then. "While everyone was talking I looked up this necklace thingie. Right now it's being displayed at the Art Gallery of Ontario."

"I've been there before," Jonah said. "It's in Toronto right?"

"Yep."

Amy took over again. "Okay. Everyone meet back here in fifteen minutes. Dan, Nellie and I will need to pack—"

"Already done kiddo."

They all turned to Nellie, who shrugged. "Hey, I had time to kill earlier, and figured we would want to be prepared."

"Hey my plane is here," Jonah said. "So if Dan and Amy want to use that, then the rest of us can get a commercial flight to Toronto. My dad can call and get us one ASAP."

"Alright." Amy smiled at the Janus, though her brother could see the worry behind it. "It looks like we're off."

—

Natalie Kabra opened her eyes and immediately knew that she wasn't at home in London, or anywhere else she was accustomed to waking up, like in a fine hotel. For one, the smell was _horrid,_ reminding her of the time she had been forced to use an outdoor toilet. It took her several weeks to forgive Dan for that one. Also, she was looking up at a peeling ceiling that had definitely seen better days.

"Natalie, you're awake."

It was Reagan's voice, full of relief, but the Kabra couldn't remember _why_ she was here. Actually, she had no idea where 'here' was.

"Reagan? What's going on?"

"Stay calm and I'll explain. Do you need help sitting up?"

It was then that Natalie realized she was lying on a small bed, though the term bed might be pushing it. It was more like a cot.

Wrinkling her nose, she managed to sit up and came face-to-face with not only her cousin but also Alistair Oh and Fiske Cahill. Before she could question it, Reagan was speaking.

"I think we all got kidnapped."

Natalie sat there, stock-still as the three told their respective stories, and as she did, her own memories came back. In a shaky voice, she told the three how she and Ian had been tracked by Vesper agents, and then she remembered being hit on the head after she tried to rescue her brother.

"So, we're being held for ransom or something of that sort?" she questioned.

"That's the only thing that makes sense." Fiske's face was grave but gave her a kind smile. "We did get food earlier and we each have a bed and some clothes, so maybe everything will be okay until the others come get us."

He didn't appear as hopeful as the words sounded though, Natalie realized, and dread filled her stomach. The only thing that made her feel better was this: _They didn't get Dan. Or my brother._

It was strange. A few years ago, her main concern would be for herself, but she had changed a lot since falling for Dan Cahill. Not only had he brought out her soft side, but he had taught her how to care about other people.

"Natalie? You seem to be taking this really well. Are you okay?"

She glanced at her cousin, who was frowning at her in concern. "I'm fine Reagan. I was just thinking about Fiske's words. The others will find us."

But even as she spoke the words confidently, she wondered just how easy it could be. The room was simple. No windows, only one door (made of iron, no handle, with a barred opening that was too small for anything to get in or out), and 4 beds. There were also a few small buckets, and Natalie tried not to think of what they were for.

 _They'll find us. They simply_ _ **must**_ _."_

—

Ian tapped the steering wheel impatiently and glanced again at the plane that had just landed on the private airfield. It had seemed like days had passed since Amy had called and asked him to pick her and Dan up and take them to an antique shop, and he was beyond ready to go find the diamond and get his sister back.

Finally, they emerged, only one small suitcase in tow. Normally he would scoff at their minimalistic pacing, but today he was grateful for it as they quickly climbed into the car.

"How was your flight?" he felt compelled to ask.

"Simply wonderful. Can you drive faster?" Dan asked. Ian was going to make a smart retort in return, but one glance in the rearview mirror stopped him. The Cahill looked worn out, his forehead creased, and was currently running a hand over his face like he was trying to shake the exhaustion off.

Ian could relate.

"It was smooth. No sightings of any Vespers or anything like that."

Ian's gaze flew to Amy, who had just spoken the words. Like her brother, she looked tired, but she seemed steadier, her eyes focused on the road in front of them. The Lucian wondered if she was already making plans of what to say when they got to the antique shop.

Somehow, even through his worry and frustration, he had the urge to reach out and hold her hand, to touch her shoulder, to tell her that it would be okay. But then he scoffed at himself for even thinking it, who was he to offer comfort? Besides, it wasn't like she would welcome anything like that—not coming from him.

"Good," he said, glancing away from Amy, away from her jade green eyes, away from her smooth skin, away from— _the mission. I have to focus on the mission._

—

The antique shop looked exactly how Amy had expected it to. Painted a pastel mint color, it was in a storefront, located on the corner of the street they had parked on. Crowded shelves could be seen through the glass, and more antiques cluttered the doorway, almost blocking the entrance. In fact, as Amy walked in, she almost knocked her head into two plants that were hanging from the low ceiling.

From behind her, she heard Dan mutter, "I feel like I'm in an old person's house."

Amy didn't even bother chastising him, her focus was on the stocky man standing behind the counter, near the rear of the store. She headed straight for him but slowed as she approached, giving him what she hoped was a friendly smile. "Hello."

"Hello young lady. What can I help you with?" the man replied, his smile warm and open.

She relaxed some at his greeting; maybe this wouldn't be so hard. "I have a question. Is this where the Patiala Necklace was found in 1998?"

The man didn't flinch or change expressions. "It is, though most people don't know that fact. I'm impressed. Are you history buffs?"

"Yes, we are," Ian's voice came from Amy's side. She glanced over to see him standing there, his arm almost touching hers.

"We are doing a research project on India's culture, and knew of course that the Patiala Necklace was one of the most magnificent pieces in their history," the Lucian went on. "What can you tell us about it?"

"Unfortunately, not much," the shop owner admitted. "I'm Dave by the way."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ian, this is Amy, and this is Dan."

They all exchanged nods and smiles, then Dave continued. "It turned up here. Someone brought it in when I was gone and my nephew was filling in for me. He knows a bit about jewelry, but not enough to recognize the masterpiece. He bought it from the woman, and when I returned a day later, it was too late to track her down."

"Woman?" Amy's heartbeat picked up. "What was her name?"

"Her identification said Tricia Whitaker. However, when we tried to find her, we found out that the address, phone number, and probably even the name were phoneys. We gave up the search after a few weeks when it became obvious that we were wasting our time." He shrugged. "Some things will always remain a mystery. But I'm glad that it turned up, though it's unfortunate that the famous diamond was missing from the necklace."

"What a shame," Ian tsked. "Barbarians, that's what those thieves are."

"I agree," Dave said, then gave them an apologetic look. "I'm sorry that I couldn't help you more."

"It's not your fault," Dan said, but Amy could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"Do you still have a copy of the identification?" Amy asked, unwilling to give up. They only had today and tomorrow left to meet Vesper One's deadline, and this was one of the only leads they had.

"Of course. The authorities and several detectives have already gone over it, but I don't mind showing you."

He disappeared for a few seconds, then came out again. "Here, you can have this copy."

Amy gave him a grateful look. "Thank you. It will be an interesting addition to our project."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, they exited out of the shop and into the warm England weather. The traffic had picked up on the street, and it seemed like everyone walking past them was enjoying their day, happiness floating around them. But Amy felt as low as the storm drain they were walking over.

"Well that went great," Dan said sarcastically. "Now what?"

Her brother was saying what she was thinking, but it irked her. They had to stay positive, and not let the fear they were all feeling take over. "Now we look at this ID and see if there are any clues there. Then we contact the others and see how things are on their side. Then…"

"Then we pray for a miracle," Ian finished with a sigh as they climbed into the car.

—

Jonah hated this.

Being around a crowd of people normally gave him an adrenaline rush. But today, it only added to the dread and fear that was swirling in his stomach like acid.

"Okay, so let's go over the plan one more time," Nellie said, her tone upbeat. "I'll go distract the security guard by claiming someone stole my wallet with all of my money and identification in it. While he's busy with my meltdown, Madison is going to go in and swipe the necklace. The alarm will go off, but Jonah will have already started a mini-concert between the display case and me, so Madison should have time to put it in my purse that's hidden without the cameras catching it. You two said there are only two cameras in the room, right?"

"Right," Jonah nodded. "One isn't pointing to the necklace, and one I can block with no prob."

"Great. If anything goes wrong, that's where our walkie-talkies come into play. And remember, if we get caught by the police, Erasmus can get us out."

 _Great. And my face behind jail bars can be plastered all over the magazines._

But it really didn't matter. Jonah knew that he would _already_ be in the magazines for the show he was planning to put on. And he was sure that when his fans saw it (primarily the ones he had canceled on), they would be disappointed. He hated it, but he would hate it more if anything happened to Sinead. In fact, at this point, he would hand over his entire career if she could be standing here with him.

 _That's stupid!_ his brain lectured him. _You've worked your whole life to build your image, and you've only known her for a few months._

But it was true. As he positioned himself next to a display of famous Indian pottery and waited for the cue from Nellie, his mind went over the last week he had with his girlfriend. From their date in Seoul to sneaking around to keep their relationship hidden, to their surprise dinner on the balcony of his hotel room in Hong Kong, to him confessing his feelings for her, all of it replayed, reminding him of just how important she had become to him.

 _You'll get her back. She'll be okay. You just have to do your thing here, lure the diamond thief out, snatch the diamond from him, and then hand it over to the Vespers. They'll be happy, hand over the hostages, and then everything will be fine._

Just then, he saw the security guard frown at his walkie-talkie, say something into it, then head for the doorway. His heart beating fast, he waited. It was several tense seconds before the signal came, but when it did, he was ready.

"Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for a show?" he lifted his hat and glasses, hoping that some of his fans were in the building.

At first, all he received from the crowd was bewildered frowns. Then, one squeal erupted, then another, then another. Soon, as Jonah started singing part of his latest hit, a small crowd had gathered. In about two minutes, it was a stampede, and though Jonah caught sight of the original security guard trying to make his way through the crowd, he wasn't having much luck.

 _Awesome. I hope Madison hurrys up though. He won't be alone for long, no matter what kind of fit Nellie throws._

As if on cue, a high-pitched alarm sounded from behind him, but Jonah didn't falter, stepping forward and throwing a few dance moves in. It worked, the crowd went crazy.

At the back of the room, the security guard was pushing forward, and another one was bursting through a door that was a few yards to the right of the other.

 _Uh-oh. That door isn't as crowded with fans as the one I'm facing._

Thinking quickly, Jonah shifted to that side, calling out, "Hey shout out to my fans in this corner!"

The crowd shifted with him, and the security guard was temporarily thwarted. But he suddenly shouted, "Make way, there's been a robbery! Move, or I'll have you all arrested for interference. This is an emergency!"

A few of the teens ignored him, but many frowned and moved, confusion on their expressions.

"Yo, a robbery?" Jonah again tried for a diversion. "My fans aren't involved in this!"

"Sir, I don't know _who_ you are"—the guard pushed finally pushed through the crowd, heading for the necklace display that was still partly hidden—"but you need to take your little show elsewhere, or I'll see that _you're_ arrested too!"

"Well, you heard him peeps, we gotta roll. It was great to sing and dance for you all, catch ya on Twitter!"

With that, Jonah beelined for the door that was now unblocked. It was a tight fit, but he managed to squeeze through. When he felt a hand tug at his arm, he immediately dropped his hat and glasses, and just as he figured, the grip loosened and he heard shouts of "it's mine!" behind him. That should give him time to get out of here. He hated leaving when he didn't know if Madison pulled off the heist, but there was another part of the plan that he was responsible for: the getaway car. As he ran out the doors of the museum, he simultaneously pulled his _other_ disguise gear out of his pocket. Thankfully, he was a pro at this stuff.

Ditching his jacket, he slipped the glasses and fake eyebrows on and then rushed to the car. Once inside, he could see the doors open and a crowd of fans pile out. Muttering under his breath, he eased the car out of the space and hoped that he could get to the back employee parking lot without anyone seeing him.

A minute later he was back there, but knew he would only have a couple of seconds before he was either questioned or forced to leave. The police would be on their way, as well as security swarming every inch of the museum. Finally, after several tense moments, he saw two figures practically fly out the door. Pushing the accelerator pedal to the floor, he met them at the sidewalk.

"Go, go, go, go!" Nellie growled. "And head for this address."

She rattled it off to the GPS system, then explained, "Erasmus has another car for us there, as well as several policemen that will cover for us. But we aren't in the clear until we _get there._ "

"I'm hurrying!" Jonah snapped, trying not to panic. But soon his instincts took over (as well as all of the driving courses he had taken for a few movies) and they were on their way.

Thirty minutes later, after a car swap and a quick phone call, they were sitting on a deserted Canadian runway, waiting for a private plane to fly them back to Massachusetts, with the Patiala Necklace tucked away in Nellie's purse.

They had pulled it off.

—

"Erasmus received the ID and is working on investigating it now," Amy announced from the front seat.

Dan nodded, but his attention wasn't on that. Something was bothering him about this whole ordeal. Why hadn't the antique shop owner seemed surprised about their questions? Were there really that many people who visited him, interested in the lost diamond? He felt bad for being suspicious about someone who had seemed so nice. Still...his mind kept going back to the shop, mainly, the design on the painting behind the counter. It was a simple painting of a bunch of symbols, nothing special about it, yet something seemed familiar…

With a start, he realized what it was.

"Turn around!" he shouted, his mind racing.

"What?" Ian sputtered.

"We need to go back to the antique shop, _now_."

"But why?" Ian asked, even as he was doing what Dan said.

"Because"—a grim smile crossed the Madrigal's face—"I have a hunch."

—

 **;)**


End file.
